Forget-me-nots On The Table
by crazypony37
Summary: Maybe closed, calculating, and crabby was how Tony saw her, but those were the last words he would use to describe Maria Hill. Valentine's Day has come and Steve has decided, or perhaps more aptly put, been convinced, to act on his feelings.


I've written another one shot because I'm a sight asshole and cannot commit to my on going stories.

Regardless, here is this lovely story about lovely people. It's not exactly Valentine's Day anymore, but I think it's the thought that counts.

* * *

Valentines day came to Stark Tower like a satellite crashing back to earth.

It was mostly Tony's fault. The inventor was gone for the day, inspecting some off-site lab his company owned, but he had taken it upon himself to accommodate Pepper for her lack of a Valentine. Every hour on the hour since seven that morning, a delivery arrived for the CEO. Flowers, chocolates, balloons, and singing telegrams had all come through the door into the personal floors of the Tower.

Steve came into the shared living floor just in time to witness The Naked Cowboy sing a personalized message to Pepper... for the second time. He gave the woman a sympathetic smile as he slipped out of the living room and into the kitchen.

"Hey! How's it going Wonder Boy."

Steve's brows furrowed at the holographic video projection floating before him. Stark was hovering above the expansive breakfast bar the Tower inhabitants used for a table, apparently chatting with his teammates in the kitchen.

"I thought you were actually working today Stark," he stated.

"What makes you think this isn't work?" the inventor replied indignantly.

Natasha, seated at the granite surface, eating what looked like Belgian waffles, gave Steve a more useful answer.

"He's been video calling us every hour since the deliveries started."

"The kitchen didn't even have the capabilities to ruin our meals with his face until last night," Clint called from the stove. "Tony installed it specifically to watch his gaudy love fest. Want some brunch Steve?"

"No thank you," Steve declined politely. He crossed the floor and sat on the stool across from Natasha. "It's a nice gesture and all Tony, but isn't the point of a Valentine's Day gift to evoke feelings of love not annoyance."

"Pepper's not annoyed. Or at least she better not be. I think the mere fact that I actually remembered what today was and made plans in advance instead having her get her own gift speaks volumes."

"Wow." Natasha rolled her eyes at the man on the screen. "You're a real romantic Stark."

"It's okay if you're jealous Red, I won't hold that against you. After all, the only thing you've got for love fest a deranged man who wishes he had bird powers."

Tony beamed his best patronizing smile at the archer. The blond was striding towards their side of the kitchen, arms laden with plates full of breakfast food.

"Do not mock," Clint said. "I am a delight to all those who know me and my cooking skills are soon to be the one thing about today your girlfriend actually likes."

"He's right you know." Pepper chose that moment to join the group in kitchen. The cowboy must have finished singing. "It is Friday Tony, I have work to do before the weekend. Your hourly gifts are distracting me."

"Well yeah Pepper, that's what they're supposed to do. Take your mind off your crazy job and remind you that you've got a hot stud dying to get home to you." Tony took on a mock offended tone as he continued. "How could you ever think that some soggy waffles are better than my gifts?"

"Waffles don't show up to my board meeting in a bear suit."

The CEO looked pointedly at the screen. On the other side, Tony froze mid retort. He made a faltering noise before dropping the argument.

"Okay fine, whatever. We all know what I'm doing today and the assassins are obviously doing their whole celebrating things with domesticity, because normal and boring is what constitutes as special for them and their weird little lives. So what's everyone else up to? Thor in New Mexico?"

Clint nodded his head.

"He left this morning with half a flower shop," the archer announced through a mouthful of bacon.

"That's sweet," Pepper cooed. She grabbed a few slices of toast. "Where's Bruce."

"Not quite sure," Natasha stated in a tone that meant she knew exactly where Bruce was, but had been asked to remain discreet "but he left us each a bag of M&M's in the lounge."

"The cool pink ones?" Clint asked. She nodded in response. "Sweet!"

"So that just leaves the Captain," Tony stated. "Any romantic plans for the day of love?"

Steve was startled by the mention of his name. He had drifted off into the pages of a newspaper left on the table and only paid half attention to the chatter around him. Bickering was a common feature of meals shared in the Tower, and something Steve tried to stay out of.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really paying attention."

"I was asking, is there a special lady who'll be receiving a declaration of love today?"

Tony punctuated his words with an eyebrow wiggle.

"No," Steve returned to his paper. "There is not."

"Come on! You're telling me you've been in the future now for almost three years and there is not a single woman you're not even remotely interested in."

One woman came to Steve's mind. A tall, athletic woman with gunmetal blue eyes and a defiant jaw.

"Not a one."

"Not possible." Tony stated that as if it could be nothing else but fact. "Who have you been in contact with. Oh! What about Myers from medical? She's outstandingly pretty."

"Or Claire Stevens in logistics," Clint provided. "She's the one that tripped when she ran in to us at the gym."

Clint and Tony rattled off name after name, ignoring the fact that Steve was disregarding every word they said. He had no wish to be part of their latest game.

"What about Maria?"

It was Natasha who asked this question, not the gossiping men. The spy didn't look at Steve, or saying anything after her question, but the way she said it told Steve she'd noticed.

Noticed the secret glances he stole when Maria wasn't looking. Sensed how his mood always lightened when she came to a debriefing meeting, and how he practically jumped for joy when she spent time after hours with the Avengers. Recognized that when she came on missions, Steve always watched Maria the closest.

"Maria?" Steve questioned, hoping he sounded at least close to genuinely shocked.

Now Natasha did look at him, stared right into his eyes. His glance away was all the confirmation she needed.

"Did I just hear you right Natasha? Did you just ask if Steve was interested in ...Maria?" Tony was actually taken aback. "I fear for the sanity of anyone who has feelings for the Ice Queen of SHIELD."

"Hey now,"Pepper rebutted. "Maria is perfectly nice once you get to know her. She just doesn't like wasting her time catering to pedantic jerks. I can sympathize with that."

"Hill is closed, calculating, and crabby, there are no other words for it. Sure she gets along with Romanoff and Coulson just fine, but that's probably because they're all androids."

Both Clint and Pepper threatened to turn off the projector if Tony didn't stop talking.

Steve just shook his head. It was no secret that Deputy Director Hill was not overly fond of Tony Stark. She had a massive organization to run, and he liked to waste time, cause trouble, and ruin any semblance of planning he came in contact with. Maybe closed, calculating, and crabby was how Tony saw her, but those were the last words he would use to describe Maria Hill.

Not when he knew how she carried extra copies of files to meetings just incase someone forgot their copy, or how she kept aspirin with her always for when Clint and Natasha refused to acknowledge their pain and go to medical. She said it was to make sure everyone was efficient and prepared,but he knew she actually cared. He'd been on the mission with her in Dhaka where she stopped following their target to bandage the leg of a little girl who'd fallen in the street. They'd had to stay an extra week to locate their target again, which is not efficient in the least bit. And who could think her cold when they knew her eyes sparkled when she really laughed and that she blushed slightly when given a compliment not pertaining to her work ethic?

Maria was not closed, calculating, or crabby at all. Not to him.

"I think you've got her all wrong Tony."

"Oh wow," Tony paused. "You do like her."

Everyone in the kitchen save Natasha looked to Steve. He could feel his cheeks beginning to burn from the attention.

"I - I never said anything like that," Steve's tongue tripped over his words. "Just that you're characterising her all wrong."

"I can see the two of you now," Tony bantered "Roaming the helicarrier giving moral lessons and punishments to all. That's a scary thought really."

"Leave him alone Tony," Pepper chided.

Clint quirked his head slightly to the right as he examined the super soldier. The archer turned to his partner. He and Natasha exchanged a look, one of their many silent conversations. He raised his eyebrows, asking a question. She shot him a sideways glance, answering back.

"You know what Steve, screw Stark." Clint was facing towards Steve again. "If you see something in Maria that no one else does, that's great. Act on it."

He collected his empty plate, along with Natasha and Pepper's, and walked to the sink. Habitually he whistled as he placed the dishes in the dishwasher. Natasha stood from the breakfast nook and slinked from the room. Clint followed once he was done. Pepper left the room too, but not before waving Tony's video call onto her tablet.

Clint's words resonated in Steve's mind.

He sat by himself for a moment, thinking, before he decided to stand up and act on it.

* * *

He made a card.

Nothing special, really, just some red construction paper trimmed with paper lace. He'd pondered going to buy something, there were numerous stores within walking distance of the tower offering Valentine wares. Raiding Thor's craft supplies (the future king had a not-so-guilty guilty pleasure) and fastening something together seemed like the better option.

Steve examined the rose he'd sketched on the inside as he strode down the halls of SHIELD's office building in New York. It was the same place he'd woken up in years ago. Maria's office was on the fifteenth floor, where he was right now.

Two doors down from the office he decided to tuck the card into the back of his waistband, like Clint sometimes did with his pistol, just to keep it hidden.

Her door was partially open when he reached it, but Steve knocked anyways.

"Come in Rogers," she called from inside.

She recognized his knock. Steve wasn't sure if that was a good sign, or an indicator that he visited her various offices a little too frequently.

She was silhouetted against the light streaming from the wall of windows behind her, all tinted and bullet proof of course. She was using her office phone. Her body language suggested she wasn't overly pleased with whomever was on the other end.

With her unoccupied hand, Maria waved Steve towards one of the chairs near her desk. He took a seat in one and waited politely until she finished her call. It didn't take her long, but when she did finish she heaved a sigh before sitting down in her chair.

"Valentine's Day is such a pain in my ass," she sighed, brushing a hand through her hair.

"Got some big plans you're missing out on?"

Maria laughed, a short chuckle tinged with her exasperation.

"Come on, you know me Rogers. I never have plans." Maria leaned forward in her chair to grab some papers off her desk. She began to fill them out. "It's everyone else who's got plans. I've got agents asking to go home early, requesting sick leave, asking to be taken off the roster for weekend duties. It's a mess and it happens every year. I should know better than to expect an easy day."

Steve smiled at the thought of people rushing home to their loved ones.

"Today sure is important to some people," he stated.

Maria scoffed.

"That's another thing I don't get. Why is it so important. Do people love their spouses and lovers less any other day? I'm pretty sure Valentine's day was made up just to pressure people in a relationship to buy cheap stuff, and to pressure people not in a relationship to get in a relationship so they can buy cheap stuff too."

Steve tensed a little in his chair. It felt like his stomach had shriveled into a ball and then dropped to his feet. Maria didn't like Valentine's Day. How had he not noticed that? He felt idiotic now, hiding his card like it was a great gift that needed to be kept a surprise.

"Does that make me bitter Steve?"

Maria was looking to him, expecting an honest answer.

"No, it just means you're practical. There's nothing wrong with that," he forced a smile on to his face. "My mother's practicality is what got my family through the depression."

"Right, of course." Maria halted her writing and set her pencil down. "I didn't mean to be rude, sorry. What was your reason for coming here? I know it couldn't have been to listen to me rant about Valentine's Day."

"You'd be right, not that I mind listening to a friend vent," he forced another smile. "I actually came here for my training groups paper work. I know Fury wants me to send in my assessments of the new batch of SHIELD trainees soon."

Steve would be hard pressed to think of a time he'd been more relieved to have a backup plan.

"I thought you already got that paperwork?" she asked.

"I'm missing the individualized sheets for the junior agents."

Maria nodded her head as she pulled out her tablet. After a few moments of tapping she looked back to Steve.

"Well it seems Coulson was the last SO to have them, so let's go find him."

She began to rise from her seat, but Steve motioned for her to sit down.

"No, stay. You've got a lot of work to do. I can find Phil's office by myself."

"You sure? I'm more than happy to accompany you Steve."

He nodded his head and stood from his own chair.

"It's perfectly fine. Thank you for your help."

"Anytime."

Steve strode towards the door. When he passed by Maria's recyclable bin (SHIELD had to be eco friendly or face the wrath of Doctor Banner,) he slipped the card from his back. Without a second glance he dropped it in.

* * *

There had been a collective sigh of disappointment when he'd returned to the Tower on Valentine's Day. Bruce, who'd returned from his mystery leave, had offered him a second bag of M&M's, which was good because Clint had already eaten the first. Had eaten everyone's first actually.

His incurable sweet tooth landed the archer in a bathroom early the next morning, cursing as he leaned over a toilet. Steve's toilet.

It was five in the morning when the door to Steve's room flew open. He jumped up, awake and ready to fight. Seeing Clint fly by was the last thing he'd expected. Taking a moment to rub the sleep dust out of his eyes, he followed.

"Are you okay Clint," he called through the open door to his bathroom. The unmistakable sounds of retching came from within. "Is it okay for me to come in?"

After a moment the sounds stopped, and Clint answered.

"Yeah Steve it's… it's cool, come in."

Steve took the step needed for him to be fully in the bathroom. He chose to perch on the rim of the bathtub behind his teammate.

"I know you eat an awful lot Clint, which is okay because you exercise and awful lot too, but don't you think six bags of candy in one night was a bit of a mistake?" Steve asked with a chuckle.

Clint sat up just enough to close the lid of the toilet. He flushed before resting his head on the lid. Steve gave him an encouraging pat on the back.

"My mistake was raiding Tony's wine cellar apparently." Clint's breathing was heavy, but steadying with each breath. "Wine, it gets me every time. I can handle beer, brandy, whiskey, vodka, everything except wine. I should have remembered. The candy probably didn't help either. Damn I haven't been this sick since the last time I was poisoned on a mission."

"So… last week?"

Clint laughed.

"You're funny Steve, a real charmer."

He sat up, turning round to face the Captain.

"Sorry about interrupting your sleep, but your bathroom was the closest."

"It's fine, you made it in the toilet."

"That's my thing Cap, I never miss."

The blonds shared a laugh as Steve extended a hand to help his friend off the floor. Clint declined Steve's offer of helping him walk out.

"Steve chill, I can still walk."

He strode from the bathroom with Steve on his tail. Clint was almost to the door when he glanced over his shoulder.

"Are you going to do anything else about Maria?" he pondered.

"No, I'm pretty sure the universe sent me a message yesterday." Steve skimmed his hand over the back of his neck. "I think Maria and I should stay friends."

"Ehh," Clint breathed in through clenched teeth. "I think you should give it one more shot. So Maria doesn't like Valentine's Day - that figures really she's like that - so try some every day romance."

"You think that'd work?"

Clint pivoted on his heels. He rested his back against the door as he looked Steve up and down. His face was scrunched up, as if had was making a decision.

"Okay, so maybe, just maybe one Saturday night I'm with the girls and Maria gets tipsy enough to mention your butt. And then another night when the other girls are joking about how the only decent guys are married or gay, she offhandedly states that they're from a whole other time too." Clint bit the inside of his lip before he continued. "I feel like that you, out of all the men in the whole world, have the best chance at melting the heart of Maria Hill. Or maybe I'm just silly. Either way I still stand by my earlier advice."

"Act on it," Steve repeated.

"Yep!"

Clint winked at the soldier. He opened the door behind his back and pivoted out of the room.

"Wait Clint!" Steve reached his hand towards the door.

"Yes Steve?"

The archer peaked his head through the crack between the open door and the wall.

"Why were you with Maria and what I'm assuming were other female SHIELD agents on their girl's night?"

"That, my dear captain, is a story for another day. Nat is in a good mood right now and I don't want to ruin it. She hates that story."

"She's not hear."

"She'll know."

Steve nodded his head, not doubting that in some way, Natasha could and would find out.

"I better not hear you chickened out Steve," Clint called as he shut the door.

"I… I won't"

* * *

So Steve returned to SHIELD two days later with the paperwork finished and proof read, as Maria was expecting. He had flowers as well.

They were bright blue, forget-me-nots, picked from the botany floor of the Tower. Blue was Maria's favorite color, she'd mentioned that to Steve in Copenhagen. He figured that if she were to ever appreciate flowers, they'd have to be blue. And not roses.

He received a few odd stares from agents in the lobby and when he was riding the elevator, but he managed to keep calm. Until he was actually at Maria's door.

On this visit, he didn't have to knock on the door. Maria was already standing outside, just about to enter it herself. She raised her eyebrows at the flowers.

"Those aren't for me are they?" she asked, stepping in to her office. She left the door open for Steve to follow.

"Well actually," Steve stated, going a bit red in the cheeks "they are."

Maria stopped short of sitting at her desk. Her right hand was clutching the back of her chair. She looked to Steve, her expression set in one of question.

Steve strode into the room, choosing to stand before her desk.

"I finished the paper work. Bringing it to you seemed like the best thing to do."

"Of course it is but…" Maria trailed off. She took a moment to regain her thoughts. "You have flowers Steve."

"I do."

Steve could see just a hint of pink coloring her cheeks. Or at least he hoped he could.

"They're blue."

"That's your favorite color. Right?" Steve asked. "I thought blue was your favorite color."

"So they are for me."

Maria pulled her chair out and stood where it once was. Still, she didn't sit down.

"Yes they are.. for you. Umm I was kind of thinking or hoping really that you would like them and really more than just them." Steve knew his words were rushing out of his mouth at a discerning speed. He couldn't do a thing to stop it, his nerves were wound so tight. "I was hoping that maybe, if you weren't too opposed to the idea that maybe we start a more - more romantic relationship. You of course have every right to reject me I won't have any ill feelings towards you -"

Maria grabbed Steve by the collar and pulled him over the desk. He was expecting one of the hands fisted in collar to release and punch his face. Instead, Maria leaned over the desk herself and brought her face to his.

She kissed him.

She was tentative, her lips slowly searching for acceptance. When she felt Steve freeze, she pulled back. Her hand released his shirt and hell to his shoulders. Maria gazed into his eyes, looking for any sign of emotion besides shock. With a sigh, she gave up and removed her hands completely.

"I guess that was too fast."

Steve, brain now fully functioning, vaulted over her desk. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers.

He kissed her, lips tenderly asking for permission. She kissed back, not submitting, but inviting none the less. Their kiss changed, morphed into something more aggressive, almost desperate. Tension, emotion, and passion bottled up between them over years of mutual attraction with no relief, reached unbearable levels before dissipating. It was like a wave of calm washed over them. Their kiss relaxed. Maria brought her arms to rest on his shoulders. His hands splayed across her back rubbing circles in the fabric of her uniform as her fingers played at the edge of his hair line.

The shrill beep of Maria's phone disrupted them.

She pulled back first.

"I should probably check that."

"Yes, yes, you should."

Steve let go of Maria's waist and took several steps backwards. His face was burning. He had no doubt that it was bright red. There really was no hope for him.

Maria grabbed her cell phone and checked the screen. A moment later she set it down.

"Why does Barton know you're here?" she asked.

"He knows-" Steve cut his self off, not know what to say. "It… it's a very weird story involving six bags of M&M's and a toilet."

To her credit, Maria did not look fazed at all.

"That sounds like the next story in a long line of stories about and/or concerning Barton which I do not want to know."

"You have a list?" Steve asked.

Maria look at him as if he had no brain.

"Of course there is a list, Steve. A very long list full of things I never want to know. There is however, one little thing I think I do need to know."

The dark haired agent grabbed the bouquet of forget-me-nots from where Steve had placed them on the desk before he'd jumped over. She brought them to her nose, smelling them once, and then placing them elsewhere on the desk. She grabbed the piece of paper that was lying beneath them.

It was bright red and crumpled, but looked as if someone had tried to smooth it out. The lace around the edges was unglued in a few spots. It was the card Steve had made Maria. She had taken it from the trash.

"Why was this is the trash?"

"You said you didn't like Valentine's Day," Steve said sheepishly. "I didn't think you'd enjoy this."

"I said," Maria shook her head. "I said what I said yes, but this would have been different. You made this, you drew something amazing, and wrote a heartfelt poem you-"

Maria took a deep breath when her phone went off again. This time it was an alarm, she had a meeting in five minutes.

"I have officially used up all of my free time today Steve. Fury is expecting me down on seventh, but we are not done."

Maria looked at his pointedly before turning her attention away. She grabbed a folder full of files, shoved her phone in her pocket, and walked towards her door.

"What you made was special Steve and perhaps my only exception to the Valentine's Day ban," she called over her shoulder.

"It's really not that great, but I'm glad you're happy."

Maria paused, hand just about to push open the door.

"I thought that you were the only non-frustrating Avenger, but you're just frustrating in a different way, aren't you?"

Steve smiled.

"A beautiful woman like you, you'd get bored of me otherwise. I can't keep a girlfriend if she's bored by me."

Maria made a breathy noise, as if she forgot what words she was speaking just as she was saying them.

"My meeting," she said eventually," I've got to go now. We'll talk later, maybe over dinner?"

"Sounds fantastic."

She didn't look back at Steve when she left the room. He couldn't see her face, but since Maria always pulled back her hair, Steve had full view of her ears. They were bright red.

Unless he had somehow made her furious within a second, Steve had made Maria blush as brightly as she made him.

He tapped the card on her desk fondly before exiting the room.

Steve was looking forward to the next Valentine's Day.

* * *

Wow they're cute.

Thanks for reading!


End file.
